Joseph hubert boeken



(No Model.)

J. H. BOEKEN.

DEGORTIGATING MACHINE.

No. 524,573. Patented Aug. 14, 1894.

INVENTOH N. am

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH I-IUBERT BOEKEN, OF NUEVI'IAS, CUBA.

DECORTlCATlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 524,573, dated August14, 1894.

Application filed March 19, 1894. Serial No, 504,231- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HUBERT Bon- KEN, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, and a resident of Nuevitas, Cuba, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Decorticating-Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of machines thatare used for separating the vegetable fiber in the stalks and leaves ofthe ramie, heniquen, sisal and like plants from the epidermis and pulpin such a mannerthat the said fibers can be used in the arts for variouspurposes.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved machine ofthis kind which is simple in construction, thoroughly separates thefiber from the epidermis and pulp, and by means of which a very largequantity of stalks or leaves can be treated in a given time.

The invention consists in the combination with two decorticatingmechanisms, of a conveyer located between them and mounted to movetoward either mechanism.

The. invention further consists in the combination with thedecorticatiug mechanisms and the conveyor, of means for operating theconveyor from one of said decorticating mechanisms and means forreversing the direction of movement of the conveyerand at the same timereversing the direction of rotation of the feed-rollers of the saiddecorticating mechanisms.

The invention further consists in the construction and combination ofparts and details as will be fully described hereinafter and finallypointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improveddecorticating machine, parts being omitted. Fig. 2 is a side viewofthesame, parts being shown in vertical section. Fig. 3 is an enlargeddetail side view of the feed rollers and gearings, parts being shown insection. Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail elevation, showing the gearingfor driving the feed-roller and the conveyer belt.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

An endless conveyor belt A passes over the rollers A and A and the toppart of said belt rests on a series of supporting rollers A end roller Aa decorticating mechanism is arranged in a suitable frame C. In saidframe 0 a beating drum or scutcher D is mounted to rotate and isprovided on its periphery with a series of scutching blades D. On theshaft D of said drum a loose pulley D and a fixed pulley D are mountedfor a drivingbelt, which belt rotates said drum D in the direction shownby the arrow in Fig. 2. Below and slightly to one side of said drum, acurved metal plate E is arranged, the curvature of which is the same asthat of the drum, said plate having a foot E resting on a bracket 0 ofthe frame G. Bolts G pass through said bracket 0' and through the foot Eof the curved plate, the bracket having slots, so as to permit ofadjusting the said plate in horizontal direction toward or from theperiphery of the drum, according to the thickness of the fiber of theleaves or stalks to be treated.

An inclined chute E serves for carrying 0d the pulp and pieces of theepidermis from the lower end of the plate E. At the upper end of thecurved plate E, a throat-piece F is arranged, which has an opening Fthrough which the leaves or stalks can pass, the bottom edge of saidopening being curved. That side of the throat piece facing the drum Dhas the same curvature as the plate E and forms a continuation of thesame. The throat piece is mounted to slide horizontally toward or fromthe drum and can be shifted by means of screws F Fig. 4., passingthrough angle-pieces F on the frame 0 of the machine and engaging theends of the throat-piece.

At that side of the throat-piece opposite the one facing the drum, twofeed-wheels G and G are mounted parallel and one above the other, saidfeed-wheels being provided with longitudinal flutings, grooves or ridgesin theinperipheral surface. The lower roller G is mounted in fixedbearings and the upper one Gin movable bearings H arranged to slidesupporting the endless belt.

the angle-lever P extends entirely across the vertically between twostandards H, said movable bearing H being connected by alink H with aleverJ pivoted to one of the standards and carrying an adjustable WeightJ so as to admit of adjusting the pressure exerted on said upper roller,according to the nature of the plant or leaf under treatment.

The shafts of the rollers G and G carry the cog-wheels K and K, theteeth of which are of such length as to remain in engagement at alltimes, whether the feed-rollers are close together or separated agreater or less'distance. The shaft of the lower feed-roller G on one ofthe decorticating mechanisms, in this case the one at the right, carriesa cogwheel L engaging an idle cog-wheel L on the frame of the machine,which cog-wheel L in turn engages the cog-wheel L fixed on the shaft ofone of the end rollers A of the endless conveyer belt A, so that saidendless belt is driven from the shaft of said feed-roller.

The shaft of the lower feed-roller G of each decorticating mechanismcarries two loose belt pulleys M and M, which are rotated by the belts Nand N in opposite directions. Between said two pulleys M and M a slidingclutch O is mounted on the shaft of the lower feed-roller at whichclutch rotates with the shaft and can slide longitudinally on the same,so as to be engaged with either belt pulley M or M. The clutches O aregrooved circumferentially and into said grooves the forked ends of twoangle-levers P and P pass,

which angle levers are pivoted to laterallyprojecting brackets Q and Qof the frame A One shank of frame A its end P serving as a handle formanipulating said levers. The levers P and P are connected by aconnecting rod R in the manner shown. The drums D are each covered by aremovable semi-circular hood S which in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown upon theframe 0 at the left-hand ends of said figures,

The operation is as follows: The drums D are rotated at a speed of aboutsix hundred revolutions per minute and the pulleys on the shafts of thefeed-rollers G are rotated at such speed that the endless belt A travelsat the speed about equal to two thirds of the peripheral speed ofthesaid drums D. When the handle end P of the angle-lever P is in thecentral notch or in the top of the frame A as shown in Fig. 1, theclutches O and O are disengaged from the pulleys M and M and the endlessbelt Ais at rest. A number of leaves or stalks are placed longitudinallythe clutches O and O are engaged with the pulleys M and thereby thefeed-rollers G and G of the right-hand mechanism are rotated,

so as to draw the leaves in between them, and

at the same time the top of the conveyer belt A is moved in the inversedirection of the arrow 00. The epidermis of the leaves is crushedandbroken by passing the feed-rollers, and as the leaves pass down thecurved plate E, the epidermis is torn and scraped from the same and thepulp removed from between the fibers by the blades D of the rapidlyrotating. scutcher drum D. When the points of the leaves or stalks arewithin a short distance from the feed-rollers G and G of the righthandmechanism, the lever P is moved in the inverse direction of the arrow.00, and passed into the notch a, whereby the clutches O and O aredisengaged from the belt pulleys M and engaged with the pulleys M, andthereby the directionof rotation of the feed-rollers G G is reversed andthe top of the conveyer belt is now moved in the direction of the arrow00. motion of the feed-rollers G, G, the stalks or leaves are now drawnup through the open ing F of the throat-piece on the right-handdecorticating mechanism, contrary to the direction of rotation of thescutcher drum D and conveyed back upon the 'conveyer belt,

By the reverse and are carried by said conveyer belt to the left and inbetween the'feed-rollers of the left-hand decorticating mechanism,passed through the mouth piece of the lefthand decorticating mechanismand are acted upon by the scutcher drum D of said left-hand mechanism.After the leaves have been drawn into said left-hand mechanism almosttheir entire length, the machine is again reversed and the leaves orstalks are again conveyed by the feed-rollers of the left-handmechanism, upon the endless conveyer belt A, and by the same in theinverse direction of the arrow 00. Attendants then remove the fiber,which is all that remains of the stalk or leaves from the endless beltand the fiber is then dried and treated in the usual manner by suitableappliances. Fresh leaves or stalks are placed on the belt and passedthrough the two decorticating mechanisms in the manner described.

In myimproved machine the stalks or leaves are decorticated throughoutthe greater part of their length by one decorticating mechanism, arethen conveyed to the other decortieating mechanism for the purpose ofhaving that part decorticated that was not acted upon by the firstdecorticating mechanism. Fur- IIO thermore part of the stalk or leaf isfirst acted at all times held in line and are never doubled up'ortwisted. The result is that the fibers obtainedJon my machine can behackled and spun very easily and do not require much combing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In adecorticating machine, the combination with anendless conveyor belt, supporting rollers for said belt, of a tensiondevice for said belt, a pair of feed rollers at each end of the conveyerbelt, brackets attached to the side of the machine, reversing mechanismfor the feed rollers consisting of clutches, angle levers pivoted tosaid brackets for operating said clutches, a horizontal lever connectingsaid angle levers, and a handle working in notches on the machine forsimultaneously operating said clutches, transmitting gears between onepair of feed rollers and the conveyer belt for producing thesimultaneous motion of the feed rollers and conveyor belt in eitherdirection, a throat piece arranged adjacent to each pair of feedrollers, curved plates below the throat pieces, and rotary scutcherslocated in close proximity to the throat pieces and above the curvedplates.

2. In a decort-icating machine, the combination of an endless conveyerbelt, a pair of feed rollers at one end thereof, vertical standards alsodisposed at one end of said belt, a movable bearing in said standards inwhich one of said feed rollers is j ournaled, a lever pivoted to one ofthe standards and provided with'a weight, a link connecting said leverwith said movable bearing for lowering and raising the feed rollerjournaled thereon, a rotary scutcher, a curved plate mounted below thesame for supporting the leaves on which the scutcher acts, a throatpiece at the upper end of said plate and having an aperture throughwhich the leaves can pass to the scutcher, and means for adjusting thethroat piece in relation to the curved plate and scutcher.

3. In a decorticating machine, the combination with an endless conveyorbelt, of a pair of feed rollers at one end thereof, a rotary scutcher, acurved plate mounted below the same for supporting the leaves on whichthe scutcher acts and provided with a foot, a support for said footprovided with a slot, means for adjusting the plate horizontally andbodily in the slot of said support, and a throat piece at the upper endof said plate and havingan aperture through which the leaves can pass tothe scutcher.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH HUBERT BOEKEN.

Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, K. R. BRENNAN.

